Stone Marked
by queendraconis89
Summary: Calypso Vouret is an American witch with a curse. One that has driven her to turn to the dark arts in hopes of a cure. But in doing so, she has started on a path that will either kill her, or someone else.
1. Chapter 1

I glanced out the window of the Hogwarts Express, the water droplets streaking my view, nervously tapping my fingers against my knee, itching to pull out the letter once more, hoping that maybe, just maybe, I had read it wrong.

A futile hope, I knew. If I'd read it wrong I wouldn't be here now, speeding towards a new school.

I gripped my hands together to stop the incessant movement and turned my attention back to the window, instead staring into the reflection of my green eyes.

How had it come to this?

My reflection gazed morosely back at me, offering only silent companionship.

I let my fingers resume their constant tapping, anything that would keep me from losing myself in my own memories.

I grimaced at my train of thought. I had been so eager to leave, to get away from what I had known, who I had known.

Back home, everyone knew who I was and it either led to pity or disgust. Being a smart ass hadn't helped matters, most people could never get past my prickly exterior, and those that tried, well, they didn't last long.

I'm what is known as stone marked or gorgon cursed. Which means exactly what you think. I'm a descendent of Medusa, although the legends are greatly exaggerated. Turn people to stone with her stare? True. Snakes for hair? False. Turning into a half-woman half snake monster? False. Parseltongue? True.

Medusa was a witch back in ancient Greece who happened to become cursed during a very nasty duel with an ex-lover. After a few years, Medusa was able to amend the curse to only afflict those she wanted, which happened to be quite a lot of people. Along with that little gem, it also passed down through her bloodline, carried by the male and activating in the female. The last female descendent had died a few years before I was born, leaving only a journal describing a few practices in learning how to control the curse.

Lucky me.

My parents hadn't thought much about me being stone marked until I came home from school one day, holding the broken statue of a bird.

I'd turned the poor thing to stone while it had been flying overhead.

They sat me down and talked to me about my curse, trying to explain that if I wasn't careful I could turn everything to stone if I didn't learn to control my curse.

I had only heard that I could turn people to stone.

And I used it to my advantage.

I didn't practice not turning people to stone, I practiced turning parts of them to stone.

It never lasted for long though. The reversal process was very long and very painful but it was never permanent. Or hadn't been.

There was always that one, dumb kid. The one trying to prove that they were the baddest thing walking the halls and they always decided that trying to kick my ass would earn them the respect they wanted.

At the New Orleans Academy, dueling was banned, so if there was fighting, it was done muggle style. Which, some days, wasn't a bad thing.

It had been our third year and this dumbass decided that he was going to show little old me a thing or two about life.

A few punches later, plus a swift kick to the knee, he went down. I'd laughed in his face but as I turned to walk away, he'd swung his arms out, knocked my legs from under me and dropped me on my ass. He laughed as he got up.

It was the last thing he'd done.

I passed his laughing statue everyday for the next three years.

I'd started looking for cures, experimental magic, and when all those had come up empty I had turned to dark magic but of course there hadn't been much information in America. Especially not with all the restrictions imposed since Marie Laveau in New Orleans, not to mention the whole shit storm in Salem.

After a lot of dead ends and a lot of wasted time I eventually made contact with a group of dark magicians who claimed to have knowledge about my curse. They had then put me in contact with a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a dark haired man with an imposing glare.

We had met during the summer as well as a student from Hogwarts. It hadn't taken long for an arrangement to be made.

Which was how I found myself here on the Hogwarts Express, speeding towards my new school.

A sudden knock at my cabin door startled me out my somber reverie.

I jerked my head around to the door only to see a kindly gray haired lady with a sweets trolley.

"Would you care for something sweet, dearie?" She gave a cursory glance around my cabin, probably wondering how I had gotten one to myself.

"Ah...no...no thank you," I stuttered at her, my heart still beating a mile a minute from the scare.

"You sure, dear? I have plenty to offer," She gave a warm smile.

I hesitated about to say no but before I could my stomach rumbled.

She laughed, a tinkling noise, and said, "Oh dear, you probably haven't had anything to eat all day with a growl like that!"

I felt my cheeks burn. I hadn't eaten anything but I really didn't have much of an appetite, not knowing that -

 _Stop! Don't go there!_ I gave myself a mental shake.

Taking my silence for embarrassment, the old woman said, "Now, now. Don't feel bad. Why girls like you try to slim themselves down by not eating I will never know!"

Her comment brought me back to reality. "Girls like me? What-"

She started loading up a bag with candies, "I saw you when you got on this train you know. You have a lovely figure! You shouldn't worry over it so!"

"Ma'am-" I kept trying to explain to her that my figure was the least of my worries but she kept talking over me.

"I do hope that you realize how unhealthy it is to starve yourself!" She turned towards me with a motherly glare.

"Trust me, I am not starving myself," my temper snapped.

"Good!" She gave a sharp nod, seemingly satisfied with my response. "Now, take this," she pushed the bag of candies into my hands.

"I don't-" I tried to give them back, but she folded her arms and gave me a disapproving look.

"Dear, I thought you said you were going to eat something?"

I stared at her, dumbstruck.

Oblivious, she turned away, "6 galleons."

Galleons? I had to pay?! "Hey! There's no way-"

"I know, dear," she turned back around, with her original smile, "that's why you'll eat up. Otherwise," her face took on a horrendous scowl, the warning clear.

She was good.

"Yes ma'am," I nodded slowly. I dug through my bag between my feet, counting out the coins in her outstretched hand.

Her scowl replaced once again by a sugary sweet smile, she closed the door to my cabin, leaving me to my thoughts and the candy.

I scowled at the candy before dropping it onto the plush seat beside me with a huff.

I glanced at my reflection, "What are you looking at?" But of course, my reflection only returned my snarl with a look of disdain. "Not much help are you?" It continued to glare silently back at me.

I sighed, my anger leaving me with the realization of talking to my own reflection. I ran my hands through my hair, the strawberry blonde strands falling in front of my eyes. I had to get my act together before reaching Hogwarts or everything was going to go to hell in a handbasket.

I took a deep breath. I could do this.

I had to do this.

I turned to look at the candy bag, sitting innocently beside me on the red cushion. I may as well enjoy it. Opening the bag, I saw she had put in a couple of chocolate frogs, some every flavor beans, a couple of lemon snaps, plus a lot more.

"Well, shit..." she had really loaded me up on goodies. I wasn't sure I could finish it all.

I narrowed my eyes, gave a derisive snort and dug in, going straight for the chocolate frogs.

I carefully opened the box, turning it towards the window. I hated the ones that jumped out immediately, they always landed on my face. When nothing rapidly made an attempt at an escape I cautiously opened it up further only to stare at an empty box.

"Ugh..." All that prudence for nothing. Oh well, at least the card should be cool.

I flipped the card up to look at it and lost my appetite again.

"Damn..." I murmured.

I focused back on the rain streaked window, the card falling to the floor at my feet.

I really needed to get a grip. If the card was enough to give me pause...

I closed my eyes and gave myself another mental shake. I could do this.

How had things come so far?

I was planning a dangerous scheme that would either kill me or someone else.

I closed my eyes, letting my head fall back onto the seat, the card of Dumbledore with his twinkling eyes watching me quietly the entire time.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long! I wasn't quite happy with spots in the chapter, but I came to a happy medium with it. At least until I come back and re-read and edit it...again. ㈴1 Anyways, so enjoy! Ttfn!**

* * *

I fidgeted with the hem of my robes for what was probably the fiftieth time since a Professor McGonagall had asked me to wait in front of the massive double doors at the great hall.

Even if I was a sixth year transfer I had to be sorted like everyone else.

I hated the whole waiting. It seemed like I'd been waiting for hours, but in truth it had only been a few minutes.

I pulled at the button down shirt, the fabric feeling tight across my chest. I admit I was what was known as "being amply blessed" back home, but I wasn't sure if the shirt was too small or if I was being too hypersensitive because of nerves.

Please, hurry up, I silently prayed, my foot tapping impatiently on the stone floor, I just want to get this over with.

I cracked my neck, the loud pop echoing in the empty room and startling me. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

Then another.

And yet another, until suddenly, the doors opened.

I blinked at the sudden wash of light that illuminated me.

"Calypso Vouret", I heard Professor McGonagall call me from the end of the room.

I straightened my shoulders and walked forward.

I had only walked a few steps in, when I just stopped and stared.

I saw candles floating over the tables, beautiful tapestries hanging from the ceiling with what I assumed were the house crests and when I looked up...

 _Oh wow._

I was speechless. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky, thousands of glittering stars with a few wisps of clouds passing overhead. I heard a snicker beside me and realized my mouth was hanging open.

Quickly closing my mouth, I gave a shy smile over where I heard the laughter and continued towards the front of the hall. I finally made my way to Professor McGonagall and saw she was holding a hat.

At least I thought it was a hat.

The thing was old, covered in stitches and as I looked closer, I saw that there was patchwork done by someone trying to keep the thing from falling apart.

I glanced at the older woman, the silent question obvious.

She motioned for me to sit on the stool and as soon as I did, she placed the thing on my head. It fell down to my ears, obscuring my vision, and for a brief moment, I thought that it was a prank.

"So," it began, "You are an interesting specimen."

 _It talks!_

"Well of course, you foolish girl, I'm not just any old sorting hat," the hat replied to my thoughts, sounding slightly miffed.

 _? I've never met a talking...sorting hat before..._ I wasn't sure what to say. How do you mollify a talking hat?

I sensed a silent hmph in response. "Of course you haven't! Well then. But yes. Very interesting," I could feel it poking around in my head.

I had a small moment of panic. If it hears my thoughts, then it could read them too. I felt a flush creep up my neck and sent a silent prayer that it couldn't see everything.

"A stone cursed girl, hmm?"

The question caught me off guard. _What?_

"Well, well, well. That _is_ interesting. But what have we here?"

I took in a sharp breath. Dear God, please don't screw this up-

"Ah. Yes. I know just where to put you, oh yes...SLYTHERIN!"

I let out my breath that I'd been holding.

Cheers erupted from my right along with unenthusiastic applause from the other tables that I could see once McGonagall removed the sorting hat from my head.

 _Slytherin?_ I glanced at the crest above the table with the most applause and immediately saw a snake.

 _Oh._ My curse yet again, dictating everything. _Wait wasn't that boy from this summer-_

It was easy to find his white blonde hair among the other students. I glanced away almost as soon as our eyes met. I didn't want to remember this summer and from what I saw, neither did he.

Professor McGonagall ushered me off of the stool and towards the Slytherin table. There were students motioning for me to sit with them, but I found myself heading towards the end of the table, away from everyone.

Old habits as they say.

As soon as I had sat down, Professor Dumbledore stood up, raising his arms and motioning for silence in the hall.

I felt that all too familiar twinge in the back of my head.

"Good evening," Dumbledore began, "To our new students, I welcome you all to Hogwarts. To our returning students, welcome back! I hope the new year will be filled with magical education to help you in your futures. Now, I have some important information to share," he looked straight at me and my breath caught in my throat, "It has been some time since Hogwarts has received a transfer student. But under the circumstances, it was decided to accept Miss Vouret's request. I am sure all of you will be accepting of her. Now," he clapped his hands together, "There are few rules to go over..."

I drowned out the rest of his speech, my eyes glued to the man with the dark hair and sharp, hooked nose on the dais that I had met previously.

I felt the letter in my robes acutely, the ache to grab it and read it once more like a weight in my chest.

I glanced around but everyone was still focused on Professor Dumbledore. Seizing the chance I drew out the letter, hiding it under the table, the words burned into my memory, but I read it again all the same.

 **Miss Vouret,**

 **As I understand it, you are interested in finding a cure for your curse. If you want my help, then I require yours as well.**

 **I have a matter that I believe will be suited to your skills perfectly.** **All you have to do is assist Draco Malfoy with the task I have given him.**

 **Meet with Professor Severus Snape within the summer, he will introduce the two of you.**

 **You will also be required to transfer to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.** **I am assured that the concept will be welcome, considering your 'incident'.**

 **It is a simple enough task and once it is done, I give you my word that I will remove your curse.**

There was an attaching letter with instructions for getting to Professor Snape's home, as well as a list of details that hadn't made sense to me until I had met with them.

If I could turn back time.

 _No point in that is there?_ I thought bitterly. They had made certain that I would comply.

I let out a quiet breath, folding the letter back up and stuffing it back into my robes. I cast a hurried glance around me once more but when I moved my eyes to my left, I was met with Draco's own stare.

Before I had a chance to react, everyone stood up suddenly, and I heard someone saying to go to our dormitories.

I glanced back, looking for Draco, but he had blended in with the rest of the crowd heading out.

I shrugged, figuring that I would see him in the Slytherin dormitory, and started following a group of green and silver clad students. As I walked through the double doors, I was forcefully yanked backwards, hitting something very solid with a "Oomph!"

"Watch it!" A brown haired Slytherin girl snarled at me, shoving me away.

I opened my mouth to snap that she shouldn't have pulled me back but I heard a low voice above me say, "Leave it."

I whirled around coming face to face with Professor Snape.

My retort died in my throat.

"Professor," I said meekly.

"Miss Vouret, if you would kindly follow me," he continued past me, leaving me no choice but to do as he asked.


End file.
